Fabric draw-off mechanism



Feb. 28, 1961 P. L- ST. PIERRE FABRIC DRAW-OFF MECHANISM Filed Jan. 30, 1956 ,INVENTO)? .PAUL L. 57: me:

United Sm es Patent FABRIC DRAW-OFF MECHANISM Paul L. St. Pierre, Pawtucket, R.I., assignor to Hemphill Company, Central Falls, R.I., a corporation of M3583! chusetts Filed Jan. 30, 1956, Ser. No. 562,210

9 Claims. c1. 66-150) This invention concerns circular knitting machines and plication referred to consists basically of a fabric work tube leading down through the cylinder to a suction fan. An air current drawn down through the tube by the fan entrains the fabric and tensions it during the knitting process.

The object of the present invention is to provide means for preventing fabric entrained by a current of air passing through a tube from twisting upon itself and possibly damaging its quality. Twisting upon itself is caused by one end of the fabric being held against the side of a stationary tube by static, friction, etc., while the other end of the fabric rotates with the cylinder.

The twisting is overcome, in one embodiment of the invention, by providing a fabric contacting member which extends down through the cylinder and into the work tube to engage and rotate with the fabric, the drag of the contacting member pulling the fabric around with it with suflicient force to overcome the retarding effect of static, etc.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of part of a fabric takeup mechanism embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a similar view of another modification of the invention; and

Figure 3 is a sectional detail part of the mechanism of c Figure 2, showing how the work tube is attached to the cylinder.

Referring to Figure 1, a rotatable needle bearing cylinder 1 has leading down through it a fabric work tube 2. This tube may be made of clear plastic or other suitable material. At the top of the cylinder 1 is a dial 3. This dial is adapted to rotate with the cylinder in the usual manner of circular machines of the dial and cylinder type. In one particular application, the machine knits fine gauge ladies hose with an inturned welt,

and the dial carries transfer bits to operate in a manner well known in the art to turn the welt.

A cord or wire 4 is secured to the hub of the dial 3 by screws 5. The cord is long enough to hang down into the tube for a distance substantially equivalent to the length of the hosiery or other article to be knit. The cord, rotating with the dial, engages the fabric and urges it to turn with the cylinder. It exerts sufiicient drag on the free end of the fabric to overcome resistance caused by static, friction, etc. with the inner surface of the tube and thus insures that the fabric will turn throughout its length at a substantially uniform rate instead of being retarded at its lower extremity while the upper portion turns with the cylinder.

Many different types of wires, strings and cords have been used successfully. A fine steel piano wire will coil up within the tube to give itself sufiicient lateral spread to engage the fabric in many places. If a wire is used, a smooth bead is fastened to its end, as shown at 6 in Figure 1, to prevent it from piercing and injuring the fabric. Window-sash, cord, plastic clothesline, woven ny-; Ion cord, and tubular braids have all been used success-- fully. Any flexible linear element which will engage the fabric appears to be suitable.

In the modification shown in Figure 2, instead of passing a wire or cord down through the tube, the tube: itself is rotated.

The cylinder 1 and the dial 3 are similar to those re-'- ferred to above, and the tube 2 is the same as tube 2 except that it is secured, as shown in Figure 3, to the top of the cylinder by means of screws 7 or other suitable-:'

means.

At a point below the length of a completed stocking; the tube 2 is split into an upper portion 2a and a lower portion 2b. The lower portion 2b is f xed to the frameof the machine and the upper portion 2a is rotatably' held by a bearing 8 which, if a suction takeup is being; used, should be reasonably air-tight.

Since the tube 2 is fastened to the rotating cylinder,:. the upper length of tube will turn with the cylinder and thus will prevent the stocking, while it is being knit from being held against twisting upon itself.

The modification shown in Figure 2 may itself be modified, in a manner not shown, by securing the top of the upper section of the tube 2a to the base of the cylinder instead of its top. This would make it possible to insert a stationary tube having fabric camming devices into the upper interior portion of the cylinder to assist in feeding the first courses of the fabric down into the tube.

I claim:

1. For a circular knitting machine of the rotatable dial and cylinder type, a fabric draw-off device which com-. prises a fabric work tube substantially concentric with the cylinder, means for producing through said tube a current of air adapted to entrain and tension fabric as it is knit, and a flexible, fabric engaging, linear member depending from the dial.

2. The invention according to claim 1, and wherein said linear member comprises a length of wire.

3. The invention according to claim 1, and wherein said linear member comprises a length of cord.

4. In a circular knitting machine of the rotatable cylinder and dial type a flexible, fabric engaging, linear member depending freely from the dial.

5. The invention according to claim 4 and wherein said flexible member comprises a length of cord.

6. In a circular knitting machine for knitting fine gauge fabric and having a rotatable needle cylinder and dial, a work tube extending from said cylinder in the direction of the fabric being knit, means for producing a current of air through said tube to entrain and tension said fabric, and a flexible linear element connected at one end to said dial for rotation therewith, said element extending longitudinally of said tube and adapted to engage said fabric substantially along its length upon rotation of said element.

.7. The invention according to claim 6 and wherein said flexible linear element comprises a length of cord.

8. In a circular knitting machine for knitting fine gauge fabric and having a rotatable needle cylinder and means for producing a current of air to entrain and tension said fabric, the improvement comprising means extendinglongitudinally from said cylinder in the entraining direction of the fabric being knit for engaging said fabric sub stantially along its length, and means for causing rota-- tion of said fabric engaging means with said needle cyl index said fabric engaging means comprising a length of cord.

9. In or for a knitting machine having a rotatable needle bearing cylinder a fabric draw-off device which includes means for producing a current of air for entraining and tensioning said fabric and a lsngitudina member adapted to engage the knitted fabric substantially along its length extending within and below the cylinder and rotatable therewith said longitudinal member comprising a length of cord.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Bechtel Mar. 19, 1918 Houseman June 24, 1919 Bouhuys Feb. 19, 1935 Norman Oct. 8, 1946 Buckreus Nov. 15, 1955 Tew Jan. 3, 1956 Wawzonek July 29, 1958 

